Posted By RichC on July 7, 2015
It doesn’t get more #random than this as mentioned in my tweet today.
In a Wall Street Journal video interview with a Columbus Zoo “zookeeper,” one of the comments made about the the Bearcat (or Binturong) is that they have a peculiar smell – that of Doritos! 
Posted By RichC on July 6, 2015
I’m archiving a couple final (or nearly final) photos from my mother and father-in-law’s Farmhouse in Western New York. I spent the last few days as “busy as a beaver” finalizing a few things so that a home inspection would be as painless as possible … that is for a home built in the 1800s! Thankfully the inspector was overly impressed with the quality of restoration and the buyer understanding that they were buying an older home. We have only a few relatively minor items to take care of — well done Dad Howard.
Actually the biggest concern that I had was for the stone foundation as the area had some torrential rains in the past couple of weeks. So much that mud ran into the barn/garage … I power washed on Sunday. Thankfully the basement was a dry as ever. Whew.
A few more hurdles and the paperwork will be ready to sign. Closing date is near … and my regular trips to Jamestown should be coming to an end (although there are still 17 acres with harvestable timber available – any interest?)
Posted By RichC on July 5, 2015
More than 40% of Americans surveyed said they fight over how to load the dishwasher, according to appliance maker Bosch. (see WSJ)
-More than 70% of users choose the ‘normal’ cycle every time, even though dishwashers now have specialized settings.
-Stainless-steel pans get cleaner in the dishwasher but never wash cast-iron or nonstick pans there.
-Appliance and soap makers urge against pre-rinsing dishes. But some people insist on doing it anyway.
-For safety, point knives down. Mixing utensils in the basket avoids ‘nesting’ and gets them cleaner, but it can add several seconds in unloading time.
-Glass and plastic are usually safer on top, where water pressure and heat are less intense. New rack designs accommodate beer steins and mason jars.
-Loading flatware and large utensils into a third rack takes precision, but it frees up space below.
Posted By RichC on July 4, 2015
Posted By RichC on July 4, 2015
Once in a while when commenting online about an item that I use, someone will ask me if I tried or would like to try their product. If the cost is reasonable, or no-charge, I’m usually happy to give it a try.
A company called TheInsoleStore.com after reading one of my posts about Sperry Topsider boat and insoles asked if I would like to try out a few of their offerings. They sent me several pair 
and I will gladly give them a try.
Sperry Topsiders, and their generic copycats, are my favorite shoes and I’ve worn them for 40 years. I’ve used them both for “dockside” or “everyday” wear as well as on the boat “sailing.” All brands of these leather shoes have the same problem – after wearing them barefoot and getting them wet, they stink … as my 2012 post lamented.
Enter my search for a way to either prevent them from smelling — either treat them with something or buy new shoes. Since my shoes will usually smell before I wear them out, I decided to try a different solution: insoles.
Insoles Testing:
Felt/wool insoles — To save a few dollars, the inexpensive felt insoles can toss in the wash and a few years ago purchased some from China on eBay and have been disappointed – they smell odd even before they are worn? That said, I’m giving the felt insoles from TheInsoleStore an initial try. They are soft on the foot “initially” but do tend to pack-down as they are worn. We’ll see how they do through the summer.
Foam — Another pair of insoles made from foam are in my recently restored (cough, cough) Topsiders, and I already like the foam better than the felt/wool.
Black felt — I sent a pair of black felt (charcoal inside perhaps?) to my son who has sweatier feet than me … so we’ll see what he thinks. They have an interested bottom which stays in the shoe better than the simple felt insoles.
Supportive — I’m anxious to try a more support style insole in the Sperry’s that I keep on the boat. They are more of a “water shoe” than the leather Topsiders, but are very thin soled and uncomfortable even walking to and from the boaters lounge on the dock … so I’ll be interested to see in the new insoles help.
Leather — Finally I’m going to put a pair of the thin leather insoles in my Allen Edmonds leather dress shoes. The don’t get nearly the abuse of a barefoot boat shoe, but since Tyler from TheInsoleStore.com sent me them to try, I will.
Some advice:
for that I use a waterproofer like beeswax.Posted By RichC on July 3, 2015
So much for “considering” Windows 10 on my iMac (Parallels). And here I was thinking that upgrading a couple of Windows machines wouldn’t be as expensive as in the past … with Microsofts FREE upgrad offer and all. (Parallels is working on a solution)
Microsoft is making Windows 10 available as free upgrade for qualified Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It will be available starting July 29, 2015; people can reserve their free upgrade today.
You only have until July 29, 2016 to take advantage of this offer. Once you upgrade, you have Windows 10 for free on that device.
Posted By RichC on July 2, 2015
As with baby birds in previous years, the same tree is being used by the robins … with a new nest … again. This is the second brood for this pair of robins for 2015. They do have ugly chicks … and this guy is pretty weak (watch him flop below).
Posted By RichC on July 1, 2015
Investing in startups outside of a business where I have been hands-on management has never panned out successfully for me … so I’m not sure why I think ElioMotors will be different? In other words, treat that last statement a warning and my skepticism beyond seeing a new car company as interesting and exciting IF you are interested as an investor. Raising the capital for such a large venture is not going to be easy, but I wish Paul Elio and his team well. If I had an automotive industry background, it would sure be exciting to be on the ground floor and working 24×7 to build another facility (two ground up faculties in my past).
Elio Motors has partnered with StartEngine.com, a platform for crowdfunding investments. A new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruling, Regulation A+, has made it possible for start-up companies to “test the waters” and see if there is sufficient interest from potential investors. StartEngine.com is assisting us with this effort so that we can stay in compliance with the regulation.
When you land on the Elio Motors page at StartEngine.com, you will see a lot of background on the company, but you’ll also see a button that says “Reserve your Shares.” Clicking this button allows you to sign up and indicate how much you’d like to invest in Elio Motors. After July 31, Elio Motors will then decide how best to proceed with filing an offering statement with the SEC and once that offering statement is qualified by the SEC, Elio Motors can make a formal stock offer to interested investors.
We’ve been quite open about our need to raise money to move forward. Our most recent offering to accredited investors back in March helped us raise enough capital to begin building the P5. This was a huge step forward for the company. Funds raised from the recent Regulation A+ initiative will help us get to P6 and beyond.
It’s also an incredible opportunity for Elio fans. Not only can you reserve an Elio, you can now actually OWN A PART OF THE COMPANY! We are making history, and we hope you will come along for the ride!
To learn more about this limited time opportunity, go to both the StartEngine.com website and also view the “Alter the Course” video.
If you are interested as an investor, contact me and I’ll sent you the full email.
Posted By RichC on June 30, 2015
This might be a big deal for someone doing computerized “flash trading” but for most of us it would have gone unnoticed for the bulletin. So as a service to you, be warned … you’ll probably get “one-second” less sleep tonight. 
Posted By RichC on June 30, 2015
Seems like about every article I read pointed to the fact that Greece’s economy is only “half the size of Ohio” and that we are insulated from the turmoil over this game of chicken they are playing with the IMF and pending $1.73B payment default. Still traders on Monday in about every market decided this just might be the time to sell stocks? Ouch … it was quite painful if you are holding equities.
What’s the quick story on Greece?
Greece owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF) 1.5 billion euros on June 30th. Greece cannot pay that right now, so they are trying to borrow more money to pay the IMF. In order for the IMF to lend more money, they want Greece to agree to tough terms to rein in spending. That sounds good in theory, but these same terms make it hard for Greek economy to grow.
Greece unexpectedly announced a nationwide vote (or referendum) on July 5th to let the voters decide if they will agree to the loan terms. If the voters agree, the negotiations will end and Greece will accept the loan. If they do not agree, there would still be time to compromise, but the risks that Greece will leave the Eurozone will be more likely than not.
How will the Greeks vote on July 5th?
Polls show about 60% of the Greeks would vote in favor of taking the IMF’s deal. However, a lot can change over the course of a week.
If the Greeks vote against the terms, how much time is there for a last minute compromise?
The Greeks would be able to get by until July 20th because they could borrow from the European Central Bank (ECB) until then. OnJuly 20th, they have to pay the ECB 3.5 billion euros. Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany (they are running the show behind the scenes) is open to negotiations with Greece “at any time,” which keeps the door open for a compromise over the next three weeks.
Why do I care about Greece?
The Greek economy is relatively insignificant from a global perspective. They are about 1/2 the size of the Ohio economy and a little smaller than Indiana’s economy. The reason people are paying attention to Greece is because they would be the first country to leave the Eurozone. This increases the risk that more important countries like Spain or Italy would leave the Eurozone too. The risk that these countries would leave is low, as the IMF and ECB would likely bend over backwards for them.
What happens if Greece leaves the Eurozone?
If Greece leaves the Eurozone they will have defaulted on their loans. Unlike 2008 or 2011, the global economies are in much better shape to handle this. Back then, a lot of the Greek debt was owned by private banks, but now only 17% of their debt is owned by private institutions. The rest is owned by government entities. If Greece would have defaulted in 2011, banks would have had to write down loans and many might have gone under water. Since banks don’t own much of the debt today, the risk of widespread bank closures is low.
The Eurozone would actually end up being stronger if Greece leaves because Greece is the weakest link. From a fundamental perspective, things are improving in Europe as their economy grew 1% in the first quarter (much better than expected) and their unemployment rate is at a 3-year low. But the real problem is that a Greece exit (known as a Grexit) becomes a chink in the armor that is the euro currency.
Greece would likely fall into a deep recession as they begin the messy process of switching currencies from the euro to the drachma. However, they would eventually be able to return to growth without the constraints enforced on them.
Will the euro currency collapse?
Greece leaving should not cause the euro to collapse. The risk of the euro collapsing would occur if Spain or Italy would decide to leave the Eurozone. That is a very low risk occurrence at this point.
For more, see Simply Money Advisors
